Decorating with Feathers: Ideas & Inspirations

You know what I'm really feeling for interiors right now? Feathers. If thinking of feathers in interior design immediately conjures up for you images of tacky lampshades, perhaps some of these tasteful feathered decorations are just the thing to change your mind.

To me the appeal of feathers is obvious -- they're delicate and pretty, and their organic quality brings warmth and interest to a room. And although decorating with feathers isn't a new idea, using a bunch of them layered together (as in the pillows and shades you see here) creates a fascinating texture that feels very now. Whether you're looking to embrace this trend in a big way or in a very small way, here are some fun feathered ideas.

Top Row:1. Feathered decor is particularly lovely on a textured tabletop from Kara Rosenlund via At Home in Love. 2. A fun (and easily executed!) idea for using feathers from Spell & The Gypsy. 3. This. pillow. is. fabulous. And it has a neat story, too -- blogger Patricia Sund of Parrot Nation creates these from naturally shed feathers people send her, and then donates them to auctions to raise money for parrot rescue. 4. This feather wall is in a baby's room, but I think it would be equally lovely for grown-ups. DIY from Land of Nod. 5. Glam up a boring ceiling fixture with feathers! I can't decide if this DIY from love Maegan is the perfect amount of dark drama, or a little over the top. Either way, I love it.

Middle Row:6. This pillow. Love, want, need. A good alternative if you don't have a reliable source of parrot feathers. $420.00 from Bloom. Comes in emerald and black, but clearly the green one is better. 7. These feather pens from Design*Sponge are so pretty. And even if you're not in the market for a pen, the DIY includes instructions for dyeing feathers in the colors of your choice -- you can then use them for any of the other projects featured here. 8. A feather mobile from 100 Layer Cake. 9. For those without a reliable source of parrot feathers and also without $420, this neon feathers pillowcase is only $40 from Maybe Sparrow on Etsy. 10. Feathered pendant lamps by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.

Bottom Row: 11. Another feather pillow, this one from Jayson Home. 12. How much do I love these black and gold feathers? Arranged in a vase, they're like flowers but more permanent. Black and gold feathers, approx. $1.62 ea, from Gwen de la Haye on Etsy. 13. I love the delicacy of these watercolor feathers -- you could almost imagine that you could reach out and touch them. Watercolor feathers print, $35.00 from Amber Alexander on Etsy. 14. Searching for pretty feathers for your various DIYs? These guinea fowl feathers are only $2.49 on Etsy, and the Feather Craft Shop has plenty of other styles and colors to choose from. 15. Feather pendant from Rockett St. George, approx. $227.